JulesP

Also do dolphins use physical corrections with each other?? Horses certainly do, which is why I believe that they understand it. Same with dogs. Horses and dogs also can cope without the pack, I think dolphins are much more effected by being isolated.

Leo, most horse trainers do use physical corrections. Even the natural horsemanship people do (they might not agree that they do).

I would also give them both a really good checking over for any wounds, bruising etc. My 2 old dogs had 1 fight (minor) in 15 years but it was when the old boy had a sore ear and the girl grabbed it when playing. So maybe one of them is a bit sore and it was aggravated when they were playing, which turned it into a fight.

I always find it interesting when the obedience trial stuff kicks in to gear in the real world. When I go for walkies I never ask the dogs to heel, as long as they aren't pulling my arms out of their sockets I am cool with whatever they do. Today I thought I would try jogging (it was raining ). I scared the life out of poor Brock at first and when he recovered he came straight to heel and did 'fast pace' with me! It was rather funny. Me running must mean fast pace heel to him! Everytime I started to jog he did the same thing, came to heel and gave me focus. Good dog! I do like having a nicely trained beastie!

I wouldn't leave my border collie with any sort of livestock. (except the cats and they can jump on the roof when they have had enough of being herded!) I think seperating the dog and ducks is the way to go.

You could see if it is the talking by talking during a trial! Explain to the judge what is going on and use it as a practise. If your girl works well then you know that is the problem. If nothing it might do her good to have a happy experience in the ring with lots of pats etc. My girl didn't like me not talking in a trial. She looked really worried. I just reduced that amount of talking in training.

LOL, brag away (Cute new pic Dogdude!)

;) :D Wooohooooo well done!

Thanks rhapsodical78!

Is the price of this course and the normal course a secret or something??

Hey Rom I wouldn't have been happy doing that recall exercise either! sorry. That is the sort of thing that would have upset Brock and had him stuffing up recalls for a week or so. He is such a sook. (I do usually have cats walking infront of me during my recalls at home though! :D ). He has never not recalled either, even when chasing bunnies!!

Cause she is obviously still here! Leopuppy are you nervous because of what happened getting your 3rd CCD??

Cause it hasn't before!

Do your homework so you know he is working well. Sit and imagine it all going well. Run through in your head just how well he is going to heel etc and get excited rather than nervous. Leo has passed 2 trials he can do the work, you can do the work! The world will not end if you fail both tests! Plenty more trials on. You are just going out to have a nice day with your dog and friends.

Just cause I am stalking you!

Lol Leo maybe you are talking to the already converted here??? I doubt that too many of us on here would just think the dog was being a shit deliberately and give it a biffo!

LOL Brock is the opposite! He is better in the controlled stay type situation and gets very upset in the full-on distracting type situation. He is a very anxious little beast though. I did have a dog jump on him in my test at dog school, during the change of position. I wasn't a happy chappy. The dog isn't aggressive luckily and just wanted to sit on Brock. Brock stayed put and just gave me a 'help me' look.

LOL sounds like OH is below her in the pack! I think if you just accept 'disobedience' as natual doggy behaviour then you don't take it as personally! It doesn't bother me at all because I am not thinking that they are delibrately trying to annoy me.

They don't think "gee I am going to be disobedient" Disobedient is a word that we use to explain what is going on. They might be thinking that they should be elevated in the pack, or that doing what we want doesn't profit them enough to do it. The wet grass dog is IMO challenging her owner, who is a good handler. But the dog is not desexed and is at the age were she is thinking about elevating herself in the pack. Not out of spite just the out of nature to constantly challenge the pack position.

A wet grass example - lots of doggies didn't want to drop in the wet grass the other week. Doggies knew drop. Doggy was happy to drop in the wet grass after class when we were chatting! So I believe doggy was being disobedient! It knew drop it just didn't want to. The owner had been proofing it to wet grass in the week too! Turning your back and asking for a command is an old method of testing that the verbal cues are in place. It is up to the handler to work out if the dog is offering something and giving it a try rather than being disobedient. Also to work out if they are doing something wrong. In my practice stand for exam the other week Brock moved alot but that was because I was nervous and giving silly commands! i didn't tell him off at all because it was totally my fault. Brock was disobedient tonight! (he rarely is! ) He didn't want to wait for his dinner because I was really late home and he was starving! He knows the command 'wait' but he chose to break it. Scoffing his dinner was more appealing at that moment then doing what I said.

If the dog knows the exercise and always performs i.e. drop and then will not drop because the grass is wet then I would call that disobedience. That is assuming the handler has given the correct signal. Same with not returning to a recall. The dog has decided that it profits more from running off! If the dog didn't drop because your back was turned then that would suggest that it is relying on visual clues more than verbal clues. I tested my old dog on this one!! Animals do push the boundaries of what they can get away with! Don't think they see if as being disobedient like we do. They do it to each other so I can't see why they wouldn't do it to us. If Brock does something wrong then I always question my signal etc first before deciding that he has chosen to not do what I ask.

Who would go back to their dog if a fight broke out? I think I would. Would rather fail then break pup's trust by leaving him in 'danger'.

I like doing heeling work. Both of my dogs will offer heeling while I am walking around the garden, with automatic sits chucked in! I can't train Brock in the garden with Fern as she heels too and pushes him out of the way! So I am guessing that they don't mind it either. How do I train it? Nothing radical. Fairly short patterns with lots of changes of direction and pace. Lots of treats now too. Fern was trained using less treats.

I tried to make sure that doggie was training at 110% so that when the nerves etc came into play we dropped in performance but could still pass. It also helps to pretend that you are someone else!!! Someone that isn't nervous! i.e. march around that ring pretending you are k9!! (sorry k9, lol). I am hoping that I am better this time around as I have done some big scary horse shows since my last dog trialling!

Yep, that is my theory too! Especially if they are a bit sooky and worried.